Back International Conference: “Heritage Commons: Towards a Participative Heritage Governance in the Third Millennium”

Turin , 

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Mayor Fassino,
Commissioner Vassiliou,
Chairperson Costa,
Secretary of State Barracciu,
Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to be here today on behalf of the Council of Europe.

Let me start by expressing my sincere gratitude to the Italian Presidency of the European Union, and in particular to the Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities, for making this event possible.

This conference helps cement the already very strong partnership between the Council of Europe and the European Union in the field of heritage.

The carefully chosen theme – “Heritage Commons: towards a participative heritage governance” – is a valuable opportunity for us to take this partnership to an even higher level.

At its core, our goal is to demonstrate and measure the value of heritage to society.

It is to highlight how heritage can improve the quality of life and the living environment of people across Europe.

But more than that it shows how people can participate in the protection and promotion of their cultural heritage.

This is part of our our wider efforts to foster a European democratic culture.

A democratic culture based on the traditions, skills and talents of the local population.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Our cultural heritage mirrors the diversity that characterises us as Europeans.

A diversity which we must manage through more robust democracy.

Democracy that is more efficient.

Democracy that is more effective.

Democracy which respects everyone's human rights while encouraging more active citizen participation and more innovation.

This includes our way of thinking and shaping the future.

As individuals, citizens, members of the numerous groups that we belong to, our multiple identities and our heritage is fundamental for our dignity and existence.

They are an essential part of who we are.

They are what make us human.

The Council of Europe conventions provide common references and embody the notion of our “common European heritage.”

They constitute a very solid foundation for our commitment.

But heritage is more than this.

Heritage is a resource that contributes to the socio-economic development of societies.

Heritage helps us negotiate different viewpoints and to better understand each other, helping us to overcome the challenges that Europe faces. 

When we speak about heritage in these terms, as “commons”, we are in fact claiming an approach and an attitude towards heritage which no longer considers that its management is solely the responsibility of the State institutions.

The new economic and social realities require us to find new principles of governance.

They require us to listen more carefully to what society has to tell us.

All of society, regardless of ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, ability, race or class.

Pioneering in very many ways, the Council of Europe’s Faro Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society, is based on the idea that knowledge and use of heritage form part of the citizen’s right to participate in cultural life, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

This knowledge contributes to an identity process, which is fundamental for human development and a resource for enhancement of cultural diversity and the promotion of intercultural dialogue.

The Convention of course also puts emphasis on the potential of the cultural heritage as a factor in sustainable economic development, in particular through tourism.

The Faro Convention stresses our common European heritage as the shared responsibility of public authorities at all levels.

This includes persons holding elected office, enterprises, civil society but also ordinary citizens.

In other words, the “community” itself should define and qualify what heritage is and organise its management as a common resource.

With this in mind, the Council of Europe through the Faro Convention looks at this particular dimension of action on culture, heritage and landscape, proposing a participative governance model throughout a number of cities in Europe.

In line with the Organisation’s political priorities, the Council of

Europe has developed a distinctive approach.

This approach uses heritage for dynamic sustainable development and includes cross-cutting policies and new models of participatory governance.

Preservation of this heritage is not an end in itself – its objective is to further the well-being of individuals and society as a whole.

I was very pleased to see that my former colleague at the Council of Europe and one of the key persons behind the Faro Convention, Mr Daniel Therond, will intervene in the next session. I am sure he will be able to further enlighten you about the importance of this key Council of Europe Convention.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I cannot speak about the Council of Europe’s heritage work without mentioning the cultural routes of the Council of Europe. 

Because these routes represent the quintessence of the value of cultural heritage for society.

A quarter of a century ago the Santiago de Compostela Declaration laid the foundations for the first cultural route of the Council of Europe by stressing the importance of our multiple European identities - rich in their diversity, colour, depth and origin.

Today, the Council of Europe’s Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes is overseeing 29 routes criss-crossing Europe, connecting culture and heritage and making full benefit of the tools of the Digital Age.

And seven of them pass through Turin or nearby in Piedemonte.

- Historic thermal towns (Aqui Terme)
- Jewish heritage (Torino)
- Via Francigena
- Mozart Ways (Torino)
- Cluny sites (Castelletto Cervo)
- Transromanica (Vezzolano)
- Huguenots heritage (Saluzzo, Torre Pelice, Moncenisio)

These routes are a powerful tool to ensure access to culture as a fundamental right. They seek to develop sustainable, participatory projects which celebrate diversity. They educate us about the need to preserve the environment. And they offer fresh pockets of tourism in lesser-known regions.

In other words, they are the very embodiment of the principles of the Faro Convention.

The Council of Europe’s Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes is the result of our successful co-operation with the European Union and the financial resources put at its disposal.

It is my hope that one day soon the European Union will become a full member of the Partial Agreement. This will enable us to forge even closer links.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I would like to conclude by stating what has now become the obvious: cultural heritage contributes to the principles of democracy and human rights.

These principles are the foundation of a socially cohesive society in which individuals are able to agree on and accept decisions that are made.

They allow individuals to take responsibility for advancing the society in which they live in.

At the same time, human rights become stronger and more deeply rooted in a society that enjoys broad participation and active citizenship.

Like in the “mirror paintings” of the great Piedmonts artist Michelangelo Pistoletto, we need to continue exploring all dimensions: time, space as well as the active role and significance of our immediate environment.

We need to look for new models of governance and effective policies which value cultural heritage as a collective measurable resource and as a driver of sustainable development.

Let us stay true to our heritage and traditions while planning for the future.

By working together, we can make this happen.

Thank you.